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Pope Francis smiles as he arrives to celebrate Mass at Church of the Gesu in Rome Pope Francis smiles alongside Father Adolfo Nicolas, superior general of the Society of Jesus, while arriving to celebrate Mass at the Church of the Gesu in Rome Jan. 3. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

In formally announcing his resignation and convoking the 36th General Congregation (to be held in October 2016), Jesuit Superior General Fr. Adolfo Nicolas, S.J., wrote: “I invite the whole Society to enter into a process of deep and genuine spiritual discernment about our life and mission during the coming months.” He then added: “Meditating on the call of the Eternal King, what do we discern to be the three most important calls that the Lord makes to the whole Society today?”

As a lay person with many years in and around Jesuit education (and as one who is currently working at a Jesuit high school), I thought of a minor tweak to Fr. Nicolas’s question, namely: What do we discern to be the three most important calls for those in Ignatian and/or in Jesuit education?

It’s only fair that, if I pose the question, I should offer my own answer. In a future post, I’ll provide some thoughts, but I thought I’d start the conversation.  

Matt Emerson's essays have appeared in a number of publications, including America, Commonweal, and the Wall Street Journal. The Catholic Press Association named his September 2012 essay "Help Their Unbelief," published in America, as the "best essay" in the category of national general interest magazine for 2012. He is the author of the book Why Faith? A Journey of Discovery (Paulist Press 2016).Articles:Fruitful Searching (Jan. 5-12, 2015)Preambles for Faith (May 13, 2013)Help Their Unbelief (Sept. 10, 2012)Posts at The Ignatian Educator